Tuition for Montana residents at The University of Montana-Western rose by 2.6% during the 2022-23 school year, as revealed in recent figures, according to the latest disclosure from the National Center for Education Statistics.
Montana residents paid $5,874 to attend the four-year public university this year, an increase of $148 from the $5,726 charged in the 2021-22 academic year.
Non-resident students faced tuition costs 201.3% higher than those for residents in 2022-23, amounting to $17,698. This represents a 3% rise from $17,190 in the previous school year.
Approximately 57% of the undergraduate student body at the university are Montana residents, while the remaining 43% come from other states.
Data indicates that 86% of full-time undergraduates who enrolled at The University of Montana-Western in 2022-23 received some form of financial aid. Specifically, 162 students were awarded grants or scholarships totaling $1.3 million, and 108 students secured loans exceeding $1.6 million.
Across all undergraduates, 1,126 students received grants or scholarships amounting to $6.6 million. Additionally, 458 students borrowed $3.8 million in federal student loans.
Undergraduate education costs have seen a significant increase over the past few decades. Data shows a 169% rise in the average total cost, including tuition, fees, room, and board, between 1980 and 2020.
According to a 2023 College Board report, in-state students at public universities paid an average of $11,260, while out-of-state students paid $29,150 in the 2023-24 academic year.
Meanwhile, student loan debt has steadily increased over the last 30 years, reaching $1.75 trillion in 2024, averaging a total of $28,950 per borrower. Federal loans make up 92% of the debt, with over half of students at both public and private four-year colleges graduating with student loans.
Available data sometimes exceeds 100% due to rounding and administrative calculations.
The following data includes only full-time students who began an undergraduate program at the The University of Montana-Western in the 2022-23 school year.
| Type of Aid | Number of students awarded aid | Percent awarded aid | Total amount of aid awarded | Average amount of aid per student |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Federal grants | 85 | 32% | $211,933 | $2,493 |
| State / local grant or scholarship | 120 | 46% | $538,456 | $4,487 |
| Institutional grants or scholarships | 115 | 44% | $560,380 | $4,873 |
| Grant or scholarship aid total | 162 | 62% | $1.3 million | $8,091 |
| Federal student loans | 98 | 37% | $1.5 million | $15,646 |
| Other student loans | 10 | 4% | $73,651 | $7,365 |
| Student loan aid | 108 | 41% | $1.6 million | $14,879 |
| Total student aid | 226 | 86% | $2.9 million | $12,910 |
Information in this story was obtained from the National Center for Education Statistics. The source data can be found here.
